Top awards for Tipp’s young artists

Five Tipperary students have won top prizes in this year’s 67th Texaco Children’s Art Competition, the results of which were delayed until now due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In the 12-13 years age category, Ailbhe Treacy (12), a pupil at Lissenhall National School, Nenagh, won second prize for her artwork entitled ‘Life Going On’.

In addition, four Tipperary winners each won Special Merit Awards for artworks that Final Adjudicator, Professor McGonagle said, “demonstrated high levels of skill and imagination.”

They were Chloe Egan (16) from Borrisokane Community College; Heather Barnett (17) from Cashel Community College; Frankie Burke (8) from Killurney National School, Cashel and Anna Chirubvu (16) from Scoil Ruain, Thurles.

No stranger to the Competition, Chloe also won a Special Merit Award in 2019.

The Texaco Children’s Art Competition is popularly regarded as the longest-running sponsorship in the history of arts sponsoring in Ireland, with an unbroken history that dates back to the very first Competition held in 1955. This year, as has been the case throughout its life, it has been a platform on which young artists from Tipperary and counties throughout Ireland have had their talents recognised and their creativity commended.

From now until October 2, Drogheda’s Highlanes Municipal Art Gallery is hosting an exhibition of the top 126 winning paintings in this year’s Competition. Admission is free and further information is available at www.highlanes.ie.